Thu, Jun 30 2011
Just kidding, Garret actually BEAT his sales number this month (Go Garret!). He just needed a haircut.
Just kidding, Garret actually BEAT his sales number this month (Go Garret!). He just needed a haircut.
Here’s a fresh twist on a kitchen essential. Apri is a can opener that relieves strain on your hands, prevents sharp metal edges, and helps lift lids out of your way. It is designed to work with the weight of your body instead of forcing you to squeeze handles tight. Shaped to fit in the palm of your hand and look great standing on the counter, this is one tool that will be indispensable to the home cook.
Jon Corral dreamt up a tool that could make opening cans as easy as twisting off a jar lid. Over 625 community members came together to make that dream a reality. Apri is now available in the Quirky store for $19.99 presale ($24.99 retail) with a threshold of 1500 commitments.
Features:
-Lever uses body weight to clamp onto cans, no need to squeeze handles together
-Ratcheting knob relieves wrist strain
-Side cutting design prevents sharp metal edges
-Talon-hook lid lifter with magnetic catch-and-release system
-Sleek design looks great displayed on your counter
Dimensions:
-5.68″ length x 2.74″ width x 2.18″ height
Welcome to the first edition of the rebooted Quirky Production Reports. While we’ve had production reports in the past we’re changing both the way that we gather information internally and how to share it with you, the Quirky Community. It’s kind of like our Batman Begins moment but for product updates (although I highly recommend reading this post in Christian Bale’s ridiculous Batman voice).
Without further ado:
Bandits: We got in a great sample two weeks ago. There’s details (such as making sure the colors of the hooks match the colors of the elastic) that are being polished but we feel confident that we’re going to be able begin manufacturing in the near future.
UnHampered: As stated in last month’s Q&A with Ben and Gaz, we were having some issues with the factory that was originally working on this project. We are currently waiting on a new prototype with a revised design.
Boil Buoy: Currently in Engineering. Since this device is going to include some amount of electronics and will need to function in water, we’re spending a good deal of time perfecting the mechanism and making sure that it’s safe to use.
Kosoku: We received a new prototype last week that we’re very happy with and are now having it tooled at a great factory.
We’ll be back with another production report at the end of July.
¡Hay el venir de la tormenta!
That’s right, there is a storm coming. Tomorrow at 12:00pm EDT, for the first time ever we’re going to be livestreaming QDS’ weekly brainstorming session.
From 12:00 – (approx.) 12:45, the Quirky Community, will have the opportunity to participate in this week’s brainstorm through our brand new Quirky Design Staff + Quirky Community Brainstorm Livestream channel on Ustream.
Here’s how it’s going to work.
This week’s brainstorm will focus on two topics:
1) The three-sided mop: This section of the brainstorm will be ‘mind-mapping’, i.e. exploring all opportunities in terms of design, market, end user, user scenarios, modes/habits, current/future cleaning trends, materials etc.
2) The auto-stirring bowl: This section of the brainstorm will be to explore and expand upon, through some mind-mapping and sketching, the concept phase for the auto-stir bowl.
Each of these sections will last approximately 20-25 minutes.
You’re welcome to just sit and watch, but if so inclined, you can also participate by adding your own comments and suggestions to the discussion through the chat functionality built into Ustream. I (Rob) will be sitting in on this brainstorm to moderate and make sure that while QDS is doing its thing, community comments are making it into the mix.
In order to ensure that this brainstorm runs as smoothly as possible we’ve set a few ground rules:
- Submit all comments and suggestions through the Ustream chat
– Try to keep your comments/suggestions as succinct as possible
– Only submit each comment/suggestion one time
– Stay on topic
Also, be aware that there will not be any influence awarded for participating in the brainstorm.
If you have any questions leading up to the brainstorm tomorrow, feel free to post them in the comments here on the blog.
Keep in mind that this is the first time we’ve opened a brainstorm up to the community. This event will likely evolve from week to week, so if you have any suggestions for how we can make it better, please submit on our Get Satisfaction support forum.
Tired of bending over backwards to feed your dog? Pedestal is an adjustable height dog bowl stand. Need to sate your Saint Bernard? You can lock in both of the bowls up to 19 inches off the ground. Chow time for your Chihuahua? Slide the bowls back down to the bottom of the stand. Each bowl moves independently so you could even feed two different size dogs at the same time. We even made the footprint of the stand larger than the bowl holders to catch any spills from an overeager eater.
Marc Rumaner proposed a set of dog bowls that would make feeding your pets less of a pain in the back. Over 672 people came together to develop this idea into a product. Pedestal is now available in the Quirky store for $69.99 presale ($73.99 retail) with a threshold of 1000 commitments
Features:
– Includes one stand and two plastic dog bowls
– Stand has a rubberized handle for easy gripping
– Metal bowl holders move up and down at the push of a button
– Plastic stand is easy to clean
– Bowls are dishwasher safe
– Rubber foot prevents sliding
Dimensions:
– Stand: 24″ x 18″ x 8.5″
– Bowls: 3.6″ x 7.25″ diameter
Prophecy has foretold that on Monday afternoon the top five voted submissions from the previous week’s Community Evaluation would reveal themselves in the form of a blog post.
Congratulations to this week’s contenders:
Product Round 149
Tim Hayes – Collapsible watering can
Jay Kim – Retractable whisk
Jared Joyce – Personal ice cube tray
Michelle B. – Spoon with thermometer and straw
Brandon Craven – Cooling stir stick with thermometer
Suction Brief
Angelo Caccione – Portable gadget cradle system
Brian Shy – Suction cup magnets
Robert Pontius – Flexible suction cup arms
Imants Caklais – Travel/Dorm shower bag
Adam – Shower splats
These brave submissions have conquered the hearts and votes of the Quirky Community, but their arduous journey from sketch to store has only just begun. They must now now test their might against the brutal truth of DMV as well as unforeseen challenges from the enigmatic Wildcards.
Who will emerge victorious? Only time (and a future blog post) will tell.
We did not make a selection for 148. In some cases we felt that the submissions were off-brand and too novelty. In other cases we were attracted to the concept, but did not feel that it had been at all proven in the real world and we did not want to pursue. The retail partner for this brief did not supply positive feedback for this round of submissions, and therefore we took the decision to pass on moving a submission into the design phases.
Eval 147
Inventor: Robert Francois
Selected: Three-sided Mop
Community: 7
D: 6
M: 7
V: 5
Staff: 20
Total: 45
Design noted that this would be a great line extension to our range of stick goods and cleaning tools. Great opportunity during design phases to explore what the 3 cleaning surfaces should be and how you switch between them. Beyond that, exploring new modes in cleaning (‘deep cleaning’ vs ‘quick cleaning’) is an interesting challenge. Market agreed that the line extension aspect was appealing, and at the right price this would be a huge opportunity. Viability were concerned over hitting a good price point, and navigating a complex patent landscape.
The rest of the field
Inventor: Peter A. Wachtel
Submission: Portable Garden Desk
Community: 35
D: 5
M: 5
V: 7
Staff: 0
Total: 52
Design was interested in designing and testing for various user scenarios, but weren’t sure that a desk was the right organizational platform for gardening. Market felt that the wow factor was missing when compared to the competition.
Inventor: Angelo Cacchione
Submission: Sharpening Knife Rack
Community: 33
D: 6
M: 4
V: 4
Staff: 0
Total: 47
Design was drawn to this resubmission as there was a lot of talk in the comments about including knives, and therefore we would be designing a complete knife system. The challenge of controlling when/how knives were sharpened was of interest. Market felt that without the inclusion of knives this would not be a big seller. There is some patenting around the concept but the closest patent is expired so protection could be available for an innovative approach.
Inventor: Andrea Zabinski
Submission: Perfect Cookie Sheet
Community: 25
D: 5
M: 4
V: 7
Staff: 0
Total: 41
Design felt that the interchangeable inserts potentially had some wow factor to bakers/families. Market felt that there are many silicone baking trays solving for the problem of burnt edges. Viability noted that this ideas would be very easy to manufacture, however there are existing patents for silicone baking sheets with cookie compartments.
Inventor: Dave Fulton
Submission: Pitcher with frozen mixer
Community: 23
D: 4
M: 5
V: 6
Staff: 0
Total: 38
Design felt that this was tackling small problems for seasonal iced drinks. Market felt that while it would be good for bbqs and summer parties, it didn’t scream ‘I must have’. Commercial products exist for non-dilutive cooling, so patent protection would probably not be available.
Inventor: Peter A. Wachtel
Submission: Dual Blade Wheel Cutter
Community: 22
D: 3
M: 3
V: 5
Staff: 0
Total: 33
Design penalized this for not being user-friendly: to get a true triangular slice, the blades would have to move apart at a certain rate in relation to the speed of the cut. The discussion during eval also surfaced the fact that you would only need two blades for the first cut. Our legal counsel commented that there is a close approach being commercialized and currently seeking patent protection but it only cuts one line at a time.
Eval 148: Spa Products
Inventor: Emmanuel Maia
Submission: Hot Spine Massager
Community: 36
D: 5
M: 6
V: 5
Staff: 0
Total: 52
Design was interested in the idea of making this treatment more accessible, but that we would have to solve for making it user-friendly. Design also felt it was a little off-brand and gimmicky. Market were attracted to its uniqueness in the market place and that it can easily be demonstrated on the packaging at point-of-sale. Viability noted that it would certainly require strict regulatory approval and that there don’t appear to be any patents or commercial products that mimic hot stone massage in this fashion.
Inventor: Miha Mlakar
Submission: 5-head Wet Scrubber
Community: 29
D: 5
M: 5
V: 5
Staff: 0
Total: 44
Design felt that the only challenge here was making the heads fir over your existing shower head. Market felt the interchangeable heads made the product unique to market. Viability noted that similar material items exist and therefore it should be easy to source.
Inventor: Steve Crockett
Submission: Bathtub scent machine and speaker
Community: 27
D: 4
M: 4
V: 6
Staff: 0
Total: 41
Some interest in this one, especially from those who appreciate taking regular baths. Design felt that is was somewhat gimmicky. Market did not see a huge problem being solved. Viability felt that it was a combination of common functions, and therefore easy enough to manufacture but getting patent protection was unlikely.
Inventor: Jun Simmons
Submission: Perfect Temperature Bathmat
Community: 26
D: 5
M: 8
V: 5
Staff: 0
Total: 44
Lots of discussion over this one, but in the end the list of problems outweighed the unique inventiveness of the submission: weight, material-to-water ratio, and lack of proof of the thermodynamics involved were red flags.
Inventor: Jim Siegrist
Submission: Skin exfoliator machine
Community: 25
D: 5
M: 5
V: 5
Staff: 0
Total: 40
While we liked that this distinguished itself from competitors by not requiring batteries, we had some concerns over how much scrubbing torque would be provided by water-power alone. Market were concerned that, as submitted, it required a diverter piece for installation. Our legal counsel highlighted a complex patent landscape, with meaningful protection unlikely.
Inventor: Elfin Magic
Submission: All-in-one spa Massage Experience
Community: 15
D: 5
M: 4
V: 6
Staff: 0
Total: 30
Design felt that the submission was fun but off-brand. We would tweak it to be a universal massaging sleeve to be used on any part of the body. Market penalized due to the submission’s novelty feel, while viability felt that the challenge would be to ensure a great massage experience at the right price point.
Inventor: Abdullah Al-Harbi
Submission: Headrest Pillow and Sunshade
Community: 23
D: 4
M: 4
V: 7
Staff: 0
Total: 38
As submitted this feels off-brand, and challenge would be to tweak materials and functionality to elevate it to be a compelling product. Market felt it was not suited to the brief, while viability felt this would be easy to execute on with the correct soft goods vendor.
We’ve been talking about lots of new features / initiatives for a while now at Quirky, and while there is progress being made on all fronts- we have been hearing that you (the community) are feeling as though we are slow to deliver on iterations on the platform.
Quirky’s technology team is one of the smallest departments here at Quirky. This is something we are working hard on changing (by recruiting great developers)- but for now, it’s sort of a fact of life.
So we’re asking for your help. We’ve compiled a list of all of the changes/initiatives we have AGREED on taking on, and we are asking for your help prioritizing them.
We’re going to provide complete visibility into our technology pipeline- things that have recently been completed, thing in progress, and then a running queue (which you can affect the order of) as to what’s coming next
Today we’re launching quirky.com/next. We hope you’ll help us help you and make quirky a better and more productive place.
Did we miss something? Get in touch with us, and if accepted we’ll add it to the queue for voting.
It’s time to air out your ideas, inventors. With your help, we’re going to tackle bad smells.
This week’s brief is all about preventing and treating bad odor.
We’re going to be open to it all. Air fresheners might be your first idea, but it’s not the only answer. We’d love to make something that’s new and exciting. Here’s some guidance to get you thinking out of the box.
Where does odor start? Look at the situations in your daily life to see if you can identify a problem. It can range from playing sports to smoking cigarettes, from cooking dinner to taking care of babies & pets, and so on. Once you figure out where odor control is needed, you can brainstorm different products to help in that situation.
To help, here’s a list of inspiration products that work in a variety of ways:
-Box of baking soda that traps odors in your fridge
-Diaper trash cans that trap smells with airtight lids
-Garbage bags which neutralize odors by incorporating a special ingredient
-Gym bags that allow sweat-soaked clothing to dry
These are existing products, so use them for starting points and brainstorm something new. For this round, focus on physical product ideas. Avoid ideas for a new air freshening chemical. We don’t have a team of scientists (yet).
Our usual parameters apply: consumer products that would retail for less than $150 and not require integrated software. And as always, DMV (design potential, marketability and viability) will tell us which ideas would be a smart business decision.
You can submit one idea for free, and the deadline is Mon, July 4, at noon ET. Think your idea would bring a breath of fresh air to the marketplace? Submit now!
Does your sink stink? Ripple is a sink strainer with interchangeable scented rings to help keep your kitchen smelling clean and fresh. When one ring runs out, simply peel it off and replace it with a new scent.
Josh Wright proposed a sink strainer that would help eliminate odors emanating from his garbage disposal. Over 573 people came together to develop this idea into a product. Ripple is now available in the Quirky store for $7.99 presale ($9.99 retail) with a threshold of 1000 commitments
Features:
– Stainless steel strainer
– Unique, pebble shaped cut out pattern
– Sold with 2 tropically scented rings
– Fits in all sinks
Dimensions:
– 4.25″ diameter
– 1.25″ deep
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